


Ten Past Midnight

by recklesswendigo



Series: In All Of Time And Space [1]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Donna regains her memories, F/M, Fix-It, Gen, Midnight, Post-Episode: s04e13 Journey's End, The Doctor is rubbish on his own
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 13:42:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20046985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/recklesswendigo/pseuds/recklesswendigo
Summary: The man opened his mouth and slowly, spoke first, “Rose Tyler. Martha Jones. Donna Noble. TARDIS.”No no no no no -The Doctor parroted the names.No!The Doctor runs into something he thought he'd left behind. Donna doesn't understand why there's suddenly a police box on her route home from work. And both really don't like the look in that man's eyes.





	1. Chapter 1

It watches the inspection vehicle roll to a stop. It has waited so long for them to return.

A young man was seated at the console, pulling up the visuals to the area around them. “Hard to tell what happened here. All we have is the incident report.”

The older man sitting next to him spoke, clearly annoyed, “The incident report is rubbish. This whole thing is a waste o' our time.”

“People died though.”

“It was an accident. Accidents happen. An fat lotta good this is doin us anyway. We can’t even properly search the place.” He adjusted the view of the camera, giving them a better look at the distance. “My money the company is just sendin us out 'ere to say they had a look. Just to cover their arse in the event there’re lawsuits.”

“You mean from the family of the crew?”

“That o' from some of the passengers.”

There was silence between them as they worked. 

"You really don't believe the report?" The younger man asked, breaking the silence. The other man shook his head. “You saw the inside of the transport though.”

“Ye'd be surprised what people can do when they’re terrified.”

“But that’s just it. They had to be terrified of something.”

“Paranoia, lad. It’ll make ya believe almost anything. They worked themselves into a frenzy."

The younger man fiddled with his notes.

Outside, it watches, and waits.

And it has waited long enough.

The younger man turned his head sharply to his left, “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

"It’s like a knocking. It sounded like it was coming from outside.”

The older man waved a hand dismissively, “There’s nothin outside. Yer lettin that report get to ya.”

“But…” the young man frowned; clearly unnerved. "You can't hear that?" 

"Nothin can survive out there. Yer hearin things."

A sudden loud bang answered. 

“There! See? This is just like the report said!”

The older man was staring at the spot where the bang had come from. It wasn’t possible. Nothing can…

The bang came again, louder, now shifting around their vehicle.

The younger man was shaking. He turned to his coworker, desperate for an answer, "What do we do now?" 

The older man said nothing.

There was another series of bangs moving quickly toward the two men.

_ But nothing can live - _

There was a pause then another loud bang. The vehicle rocked, and then everything went black.

\--

The Doctor strolled across the field where he had left the TARDIS, humming to himself. The fields of Kelmone were beautiful now that the rain had stopped. The glory of their prized native wildflowers now on full display, swaying slightly in the light breeze. Kelmone’s two moons were shining brightly across the vast landscape. It was brilliant. He hadn’t meant to stop here, but he was glad he did. They’d really had a bad stroke of luck recently from what he had heard. It was nice to see everything settling down.

As he got nearer to the TARDIS he spotted a young man standing around in front of it. The young man’s back was to the Doctor; his attention focused on the box. 

“Nice night isn’t it?” The Doctor called out, putting a friendly smile on his face. He didn’t think anyone had been outside the city while the rain was going on. “Don’t worry. Everything’s alright now. The rains stopped.”

The man turned his attention away from his TARDIS and around to him. “The rains stopped.”

“Yeah. You alright? Didn’t think anyone was out here.”

“Yeah. You alright?”

The Doctor blinked. Something felt off with his reply. He pushed it aside for now. “Yeah. I’m fine, thanks.” He nodded in the direction of the city. “It’s safe to go back to the city. I’d avoid the hillside path though. It’s still really slick.”

“It’s still really slick.”

“Yeah…” He frowned as an unease settled over him. Something still felt off about the man's responses. And there was something very unsettling about his eyes. Something familiar that gnawed at the back of his brain. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked carefully. 

The man never blinked. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah I…” he trailed off. Now that he had keyed into the strangeness, he couldn't shake it. What was it about those eyes? He’d never met this man before, not that he could remember anyway. So why did his eyes seem like a great big warning sign? “Listen, do you need help back to the city?”

“Do you need help back to the city?”

The uneasiness was growing. “Oh. Please don’t do that.”

“Oh. Please don’t do that.” 

“Okay. Listen. I can help you back to the city. I can get you to the spring healers if you need. They can help you.”

“They can help you.”

He should leave. He knows he should. Because something is very, very wrong. “Okay, can you stop doing that?”

“Okay, can you stop doing that?” the young man repeated again.

“Please. I’d really like you to stop.”

Once more, without missing a beat, “Please. I’d really like you to stop.”

“Seriously. I’m asking you to please stop that.”

“Seriously. I’m asking you to please stop that.”

“**Stop this.”**

The Doctor felt his entire body freeze up. The ring of their simultaneous declaration churning in his ears. A sickening familiarity twisted in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't move. His mind felt like it was being submerged under an Arctic Sea. 

His eyes widened at the man before him. 

_ No. _

The man opened his mouth and slowly, spoke first, “Rose Tyler. Martha Jones. Donna Noble. TARDIS.”

_ No no no no no - _

The Doctor parroted the names. 

** _No!_ **

It couldn't be. Not here. Not this thing. Anything but this thing. Anything but this horrid curiosity that had rendered him so completely helpless. 

His twin hearts beat wildly in his chest. How? How could it be here? He had left it lie. Left it back there on Midnight to circle around the x-tonic star in silence. He had gotten the Leisure Palace company to leave. Made sure they wouldn’t come back. The entire system was empty. So _how _? 

The thing’s eyes burned into his. It had left its diamond home and found him. And had clearly adapted since he last saw it. It hadn’t needed to catch up to him to move onto the next stage. Was it because it had stolen his voice before? Did that make reclaiming it easier a second time?

The Doctor tried to maintain control over his rapidly growing fear, but was failing. He was suddenly back there. Back on the carpeted floor of the Crusader 50. 251 kliks from the leisure palace. Staring into the eyes of what once was Mrs. Silvestry. Mind reeling at the sudden loss of control; body shaking. Her voice as clear as day.

_ "Do we have a deal?" _

No.

_ “Oh, look at that. I’m ahead of you.” _

No no no.

_ "Yes. Yes. It's me. I'm coming back." _

She can't.

_ “And look at him. He can’t move.” _

Mrs. Silvestry moves from his sight, aided by the professor. He hears her placate the room. Shifting the danger from herself.

He hears Dee Dee warn Val in spite of this. And hears them all dismiss her.

He hears what once was Mrs. Silvestry using the cleverest voice in the room to sway her audience. Playing off their fear and cementing their distrust of him. 

_ “It’s inside his head.” _

No.

_ "It killed the driver. And the mechanic." _

No, please.

_ "And now it wants us." _

Please, don't.

_ “Bodies so hot. With blood. And pain.” _

He hears Dee Dee try again to explain what has happened. He hears them turn on each other.

_ "That's how he does it." _

Please, I'm not - 

_ "Creeps into your head, and whispers. Listen." _

Someone please. 

_ “That’s him. Inside." _

Please see through her.

_ "Yes." _

No...no! They're going to throw him out. 

They're going to throw him out and he can't - 

Biff’s hands are around him, pulling him across the floor.

No no no no no - not again. _ Not again! _

_ "The starlight waits. The emptiness. The midnight sky." _

_ Please no! _

The familiar wheezing and groaning of the TARDIS pierced the night, yanking the Doctor back to the present. Back from the nightmare he thought he could shake. He watched as she began to flicker in and out and then vanish altogether. Leaving him trapped with the monster from Midnight.

The Doctor felt a surge of what could only be anger from the creature as she disappeared, mixed with his own despair.

His last friend had left him. No doubt she sensed the danger. She had sensed he was beyond saving.

Well, that was some comfort. At least this _ thing _ wouldn’t get its hands on the TARDIS. 

But now he was completely alone. There was no one here to save him this time. No brilliant research assistant trying to convince her fellow passengers to see reason, to see the truth they were trying to deny. No selfless hostess willing to throw herself into x-tonic sunlight to ensure the safety of her charges, giving her life for people who never bothered to learn her name. No one out here to destroy the demon of Midnight.

He couldn’t breathe.

He was going to die. He was going to die here, scared and cold. 

And so, so very much alone. 


	2. Chapter 2

It hadn’t been there this morning. 

She walked this way everyday and there had been no sign of it earlier. No sign that there was anything even being built here. No markings, no fences, even the dirt looked untouched. It was like it appeared out of nowhere. 

Donna frowned at the sudden blue box. Why would they put a police box out here? She wasn’t even aware they still existed. They weren’t needed. Hadn’t been for a long time. They’d been phased out back when radios came along. So what on earth was it doing here? And why would they suddenly bring them back? 

Her feet were moving her toward it before she ever had conscious note of it. There was something about it. It had a pull, almost magnetic.

And was it…? Was it singing?

She shook her head. Don’t be so daft. Boxes can’t sing.

Despite this, she kept forward. Ignoring the rational part of her brain that was telling her to leave. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but this particular box was important.

She blinked and shook her head again. Wait, what? Why on earth did she think that?

The thought faded away when she reached it. She saw the door open slightly. She couldn’t see the inside at all, it was pitch black.

All rhyme and reason told her she should get the hell out of there. You don’t just go into a creepy police box that seemingly came out of nowhere. Who knows what could be in there? Probably some psychopath. Or creepy kidnapper. Ready and waiting to snatch people off the streets. Yeah. Seemed exactly the thing a crazed kidnapper would do.

But her feet were moving again without her consent. She carefully pushed open the door and stepped inside. She was expecting it to feel stuffier. Sure, it seemed like a big police box, but even so, she imagined it would feel a little claustrophobic. 

The door suddenly shut behind her. 

Donna turned sharply and tugged at the handle but it wouldn’t budge. Panic began to creep up in her.

Then the lights came on. 

She flinched back at the sudden brightness. Donna slowly opened her eyes and was convinced she had hit her head back there somewhere and not realized it. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. In front of her was a massive room with some sort of weird console looking thing in the middle, pillar struts that looked like coral all around. 

Donna backed up slowly, her back hitting the door. No, no, no. There’s no way this was in the inside of a police - 

An unexplained calmness washed over her, pushing down the panic. No, hang on. This wasn’t an ordinary police box. This was the TARDIS.

She blinked and shook her head. What? What in blazes was a TARDIS?

_ Time And Relative Dimension In Space. _

_ “Bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.” _

_ “Oh, I know all that bit.” _

Donna grabbed her head, a sharp pain shooting through it.

What was that?

She should leave. Logically, she knows she should get out of here. This - whatever it was, didn’t make sense. But there was an ache in her chest. A feeling like she had been here before. Like she knew this place. But how could that be? She’d think she’d remember being inside a box that goes against nature. Donna frowned. Well, there was that bit of time she didn’t remember. Could it be from then? 

The immediate panic was ebbing away and was being replaced with a sense of curious nostalgia. Donna took a deep breath and with newfound determination, took slow careful steps up the ramp into the center of the room. This place felt so familiar - far too familiar. 

Actually, it felt more than that...this place felt like home. Like she was meant to be here. But that’s just daft. This place was weird and alien. How could she belong here? And besides that, nothing exciting happened to her, she was nobody. Nothing special.

_ “Yes you are, you’re brilliant!” _

Another jab of pain shot through her.

Oh that was getting worse. 

There was a rhythm that began pounding in her ears, like a heartbeat. Over and over again in perfect tempo. It got louder and louder until it was all she could hear. Donna held her head in her hands. God, she wanted it to stop. She shut her eyes tightly. Please make it stop. There was something else too. Something else that sounded almost like rushing water. Like ice cracking. Like -

And the dam finally broke. The seal on her memories was torn wide open. They came soaring to her all at once, in an overwhelming wave.

_ “Not the whole town. Just save someone!” _

_ “Doctor, Donna, friends! / The circle must be broken!” _

_ “We’ve not seen everything yet, Donna Noble!” _

_ “She belongs with us. She’s your daughter.” _

_ “Time modulators in a time machine, you nuts?” _

_ “Harvey Wallbanger? How is Harvey Wallbanger one word? _

_ “Alright then, big shock, coming up.” _

_ “Walk on the pier. See a show. Eat a stick of rock.” _

_ “Couldn’t imagine you without a voice.” _

_ “Don’t do this to me! Not now. What are we going to do? You never give up!” _

_ “The universe been waitin for me!” _

_ “Donna!” _

“Oh God.” She stumbled back and slid down to the floor, hands bracing against the grate.

She felt a soothing wave wash over her, calming the roaring tide. 

It felt strangely like a cat, rubbing up against her, purring soothing notes. It was sort of strange but very comforting. 

She shakily stood up, gripping the console for support. She took a few deep breaths. She remembered. She remembered everything. A beat of anger flared up in her. That stupid Martian. She'd kill him. She'd absolutely kill him. Deciding for her that forgetting was better than burning. 

“Hang on,” she mused aloud at the thought. “Why _am_ I not burnin up?” She felt the soothing purr again. “Oh!” She looked up at the console, then up to the ceiling. “It’s you, isn’t it? You’re stopping it, yeah?” An affirmative hum answered. Donna smiled up at the Old Girl but it fell into a confused frown. “But wait a sec, if you could stop it, why didn’t you stop it before?”

There was a guilty, yet apologetic, whine. Donna felt the confliction, and even though she couldn't hear the TARDIS like the Doctor could, she still understood the meaning. What the TARDIS was doing now was temporary. It was limited to the TARDIS herself. She couldn’t extend it to their adventures. And who knows how long she could keep it up. It no doubt was taking up valuable processing power she could use elsewhere. 

That was no life really. It made for a rubbish companion for a start. Stuck on the ship, leaving him to his own devices. He was rubbish on his own. And he’d no doubt worry over her constantly, wondering when the TARDIS’s protection would collapse and she’d burn up. She'd never want to bog him down like that. 

Wait a tic.

“Actually,” Donna looked around, realizing how eerily quiet it was. “Where is Spaceman?” It was unusual for him to be absent from the console room when the TARDIS was landed. They were normally parked in the vortex if he was elsewhere in the ship. Had he gone off somewhere? She felt a distressed whine. “Has something happened to him?” A stronger nudge in the affirmative. “Where is he? Is he out there somewhere?” Silence answered her. “Is that a no?” The affirmation was back. Unease began to settle in the pit of her stomach. Whatever had happened to him, it couldn’t be good. For the TARDIS to be here without him. “What happened?”

Donna heard the console screen power on. She reached over and rolled it around to her and then frowned again. There was an image of an advert for the Leisure Palace on Midnight.

“What? What does that mean?” An impatient huff answered her. Donna held back her initial remark. The Old Girl wasn’t being cryptic on purpose. Okay. Think. Why would the TARDIS show her an advert for Midnight? The Doctor couldn’t be on Midnight. There’s no way he’d go back after...Donna felt her blood run cold. No. She can’t mean…? “You don’t mean that _thing _from Midnight, do you?”

A restless buzzing. A clear yes.

“Oh, God.” Donna covered her mouth with her hand. _No. _It couldn’t be. Not that thing. “Well come on then! What are we still doing here? Let’s go!”

The TARDIS lurched, tossing Donna back into the jump seat. _Now _she shows urgency. Donna grumbled to herself as she shifted and pushed herself back up off the seat and to the controls, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

He was alone with that thing that had stolen his voice. It had haunted him for weeks after the incident. She remembered the nights he’d found his way to her room, not quite knowing why he’d come. Needing comfort but not knowing how to ask. The vulnerability of him clinging onto her, needing something to prove he wasn’t back there. Then the nights she found him buried in his work, clearly dead on his feet. Trying to run from the nightmares by avoiding sleep altogether. She couldn’t let him go through that again.

“You promise me something, yeah?” she asked as she fiddled with the controls. Relying more on instinct than conscious effort. The TARDIS was doing the majority of the piloting. She was just making adjustments here and there, trying to remember what the Doctor had taught her. “Whatever happens to me, you get him out of there.” She felt the beginning of a protest. “No. Listen. You can’t keep me shielded forever, we both know that. And whatever that thing from Midnight is, we can't let it escape. So we get the Doctor and run. And nevermind me." 

There was a frustrated pull, bringing her previous thoughts back to the forefront. A wordless proclamation that he’d need her. “I know_. _ I _know_. But listen, if x-tonic sunlight didn’t kill that thing then I dunno what will. So if it’s between me and the Doctor, you pick the Doctor.”

There was a beat of silence, then a resigned agreement. 

"Good.” She took a deep breath. “Now let's get our Spaceman back."


	3. Chapter 3

There’s a rush of wind and both men hear the TARDIS begin to materialize. 

The Doctor stares at his arriving blue box in a panic. _Why?_ _Why_ had she come back? Why in Rassilon’s name would she come back?

He sees the thing from Midnight turn around, slowly. Feels the ship’s arrival bring out some sort of emotion in the entity. He can’t make out exactly what that emotion is, but he knows it isn’t good. He knows he doesn’t want to find out.

The TARDIS finally solidifies, and the Doctor’s mind is reeling at what she could have possibly done. They watch the door slowly open, and with careful steps, out comes the most important woman in all of creation. Hair still burning like the sun.

And something in the Doctor breaks.

_ No! _

_ No no no no no! _

_What has she done? _

** _What has she done?_ **

She wasn’t supposed to be here. She was supposed to be safe. She was supposed to be far away, living her life out in peace and comfort. Enjoying her days with her family. Far from the madness. Far from him. Far from the memories that would burn her alive.

What has the TARDIS done.

Donna steps out of the TARDIS and her eyes immediately find the man she doesn't recognize. And behind him, the Doctor. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but actually seeing the Doctor causes her breath to hitch. Seeing him frozen, unmoving, with that look on his face. He looks like he's in agony. He's not close to her, but she swears she sees tremors running through him. And his eyes. His eyes pierce right through her. 

_ Oh Spaceman. _Is this what those other passengers had seen before? Had they looked into his eyes and seen the obvious fear? The cry for help so desperately pouring through. Begging for someone, anyone. And they had tried to throw him out? 

Donna felt anger flare up, completely disgusted with them. They’re lucky she hadn’t been there.

She shook the anger away, turning her focus to the man between them. 

The man - thing - from Midnight was staring at her intently. Eyes never blinking.

It was intimidating but Donna found her voice, "Oi! Freaky alien puppeteer! Let him go."

The thing parroted her with ease, "Let him go."

Donna suppressed a shiver and pushed down the creeping fear that was trying to make itself known. Hearing the Doctor mimic the thing before her was alarming. His voice was pained and she could see now he was definitely shaking. Seeing him so vulnerable both broke her heart and set off every warning bell she had. But she couldn’t let it rattle her. She remembered the Doctor saying it latches onto fear and panic. So the key to beating this thing is to stay calm. The Doctor needed her. This was no time to be afraid. 

Donna also knows the other key to winning is not to speak. If she doesn't speak, it can't mimic. 

But she's got to speak. She needs it to give up the Doctor and that requires it to latch onto her. 

She isn't quite sure what it takes for this thing to latch onto her. How long before it does. How many words. What it feels like. The Doctor would only say so much about what happened on Midnight, and she never pressed for more. Never dared.

But a passing thought that creeps up in her mind, something she hadn’t considered before: What if it didn't _ want _ to latch onto her? It did have the Doctor after all. Would it really give up his voice for hers?

And a familiar voice slithers into her head.

_ “You’re not special. You’re not powerful. You’re not connected. You’re not clever. You’re not important.” _

Donna shook the intrusive thoughts away. 

_ No_. 

Those were old words. Old words spoken by a different man. A man who, at the time, still had, had some growing to do. Who was waiting for a friend to come along and extend their hand and help him through the darkness. To teach him the things he wasn’t aware he didn’t know. And Donna had come to not put herself down so much. To realize the value she had. She had saved the universe thank you very much. So they could shove it.

Wait a minute. _ Wait a minute. _ That’s it! If it had the Doctor’s voice, maybe it knew some of what he knew. Maybe she could use the DoctorDonna to her advantage. True, she didn't have access to the Time Lord brain still swimming around up there, but it _ was _ still there. And as far as they knew, she wasn't burning up like she was supposed to. So that had to be worth it right? That had to be a prize worth giving up the Doctor for.

But she'd have to fake it. She'd have to make it seem like she still knew what he knew. Perhaps the TARDIS could help. Maybe she could trickle in some ideas here or there. 

Okay. 

Donna looked past the man to the Doctor and shouted, “Doctor! It’s gonna be alright.”

It followed in turn, “Doctor. It’s gonna be alright.”

“Shut it you.”

“Shut it you.” 

God that was creepy. Truly, properly creepy. Donna was racking her brain for every detail the Doctor had ever disclosed about the creature from Midnight. She knows it repeats. Perhaps it always mimics at first, sort of feeling out if someones worth takin. Then after that, it synchronizes, then it takes over. It can survive on a diamond planet in x-tonic sunlight. Did it even have any weaknesses? 

“Listen. I dunno what you want,” she called out, “but you don’t have to get it like this.”

“You don’t have to get it like this.”

Donna blinked at the minor change. A partial phrase? She didn’t think it did partial phrases. She swore the Doctor said it repeated perfectly. Perfect repetition without missing a beat. So why was this different? Was that a sign it didn’t want her? Or had it learned to do more with less? She returned her focus to the conversation, “You’re probably confused, yeah? I mean, whole big universe. All these people you’ve never seen before. None of ‘em like you.”

“None of ‘em like you.”

Why was it doing that? Were the words themselves important? Or just the location in the phrase? Donna pressed on, “I’d be a bit confused too. Whole planet to myself and suddenly there are all these other people. Maybe you’re a bit scared? That’s alright you know - to be scared.”

“That’s alright you know - to be scared.”

It was only repeating the last thing she said. But why? Was it possible to force it to say what she wanted?

Worth a shot. “Yeah. It’s hard - a thing like that. And listen...I’m scared too.” Donna paused and waited.

And it did, “I’m scared too.”

Okay. Next step.

“It’s alright. You don’t have to be afraid. The Doctor can help you.”

“The Doctor can help you.”

Maybe the trick wasn’t to be clever at all. Maybe the trick was to just keep talking.

“Yeah, promise. So - Let the Doctor go.”

It repeated the last phrase again. And then she repeated it back. And the Doctor echoed them both. And they began parroting that same phrase back and forth. Their voices building into a mantra. A chorus echoing into the empty field around them. 

The thing from Midnight never showed emotion but if it did, Donna imagined it was getting irritated. Well, that was hardly her fault. This was its own game. She was just playing by the rules. 

Until the mantra stopped.

**“Let the Doctor go.”**

Donna felt like someone had suddenly dumped a bucket of ice water on her brain. Her entire body froze up, and she couldn’t move.

Okay. Good. That’s good innit? That means the Doctor should be free. That’s what he said before. That’s what he said this thing did.

But the Doctor wasn’t moving.

And the thing was speaking, "Veni, Vidi, Vici."

It spoke, and both of them repeated in perfect unison.

Oh it just had to get clever in Latin, didn’t it.

The sudden weight of the situation fell on her. It had them both. _ It had them both._ How was that possible? It hadn’t done that before. Not from what she remembered the Doctor saying. So what changed? What changed since the Doctor’s encounter with it on Midnight? Had it adapted? Or perhaps it was always capable of this?

The fear she had been holding back began to rush into the pit of her stomach. 

They were going to die.

They were really going to die.

She wonders if it would be quick. Or would it drag the whole thing out? How long would it keep them alive? She doubts for very long. Perhaps it would keep the Doctor longer. It might still need him. 

That did little to comfort her.

She was almost convinced having the TARDIS stop shielding her and letting her burn up would be better.

Donna blinked. Hang on. Would that…?

This thing was telepathic right? Or somethin like it. It can get into their heads. So there has to be a connection. There has to be some sort of weird link between them. So then, stands to reason, if it can link itself into her mind, it could be affected by her mind too.

It might not even work. The thing from Midnight might not even feel it. Or maybe it would and it’d be enough to shock it into letting them go. At least then the Doctor would be free. 

As far as plans go, this really wasn’t the best she’d ever had. But it was also the only plan she had. So, it’d have to do. Donna felt a restlessness pull at the back of her mind, as if the TARDIS sensed what she wanted and was against it.

_ Sorry, Old Girl, but this is all I got. _

_ You take care of him, yeah? _

Donna felt the TARDIS’s hesitancy. As if she was stalling to come up with a better plan. But eventually, Donna felt the protective hold begin to recede. Okay. This was it then.

Donna steeled herself.

_ Alright, you alien nut job. _

_ Ready to go out with a bang? _

There was a pause, and then the creature from Midnight realized it’s mistake.

As the last of the TARDIS’s protection faded, the Time Lord consciousness sank its teeth into the Midnight Entity, keeping it from fleeing. 

Keeping it from escaping the coming inferno. 

And it set off like a blaze.

It was worse than anything Donna had ever felt before. Like every inch of her brain was on fire. Synapses firing white lightning across her entire body. There were suns going supernova in her chest. Her entire body was trying to tear itself apart from the inside out.

The thing from Midnight screamed. A shrill, wretched, inhuman noise. Donna’s own voice following suit in a perfect match of agony. It was the worst sound she’d ever heard. But, she didn’t hear the Doctor’s voice. So it must have released him. Good. Then it was worth it.

Through teary eyes she was able to make out his blurry form moving toward them.

_ Sorry, Spaceman._

The creature from Midnight falls to the grass, clutching its head. It thrashes around on the ground as if doing so could snuff out the flame. As if it could run from the fire it has started. It gives one final, inhumane shriek. Then they both collapse and everything goes quiet, save for the frantic footfalls of worn trainers beating across the field.

The Doctor slid to his knees, scooping Donna up in his arms, “Donna? Donna!” His voice was frantic, “Come on Donna!” When she didn’t respond, he pulled her closer and began rocking slightly back and forth. He buried his face in her hair. Soft, guilt wracked, sobs of, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” pouring over and over from his lips. 

This wasn’t supposed to happen. He wasn’t supposed to lose her. She was supposed to be safe. Safe and happy, and comfortable. Laughing and enjoying every bit of her brilliant life. She wasn’t supposed to burn because of him. 

But she had, and it was all his fault.

It was all his fault the most important woman in all of creation - 

He went still at the sensation of a hand gently squeezing his arm. There was a soft, “Stop that now.”

The Doctor pulled back slightly, voice unsteady, “Donna…?”

“Hey Spaceman.” Her own voice was a little hoarse.

“You’re…”

"Still here.” She smiled softly up at him. “Couldn’t get rid of me if you tried."

“But I don’t understand. How did you…”

“Super Temp.” She answered proudly. “Well, I did have a bit of help from the Old Girl. She was kind’ve shieldin my mind from the Time Lord part. Guess when she let go, it burned up first. Felt like she came back for me right there at the end.” She thought for a moment, “Don’t feel her anymore though. Not in the same way.”

The Doctor patted the TARDIS door with sudden proud energy, “That’s my girl! Clever girl.”

She couldn’t help but smile at him. But it quickly fell to a frown as Donna suddenly winced.

The Doctor returned his attention to her. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

She groaned, "You don't have to bleep me. I'm fine. It’s just a headache." She felt him tense. "Oh. Alright then. Go ahead."

He relaxed and went over her with the sonic. He took a look at the readings. "Stable. Heart rate and blood pressure are a little low, but nothing to worry about. No signs of trauma. No brain damage. Yup, mild headache. And oh. No more Time Lord consciousness.”

“Really?” That was a relief.

“Not a single trace. Still perfectly human, except...oh, hang on."

Or perhaps not. "What?"

The Doctor turned the screwdriver around in his hand, as if trying to verify the readings. "Your cellular degeneration has slowed by an astronomical amount.”

“And what’s that mean?”

“It means, you won't age like normal humans."

“How you mean?”

“Can’t quite tell the specifics but it seems you, Donna Noble, will live far, far past the normal human life expectancy.” 

“What? How’s that possible?”

“Not sure, really. Could be a number of things. Between the meta-crisis, the TARDIS’s interference, and that thing from Midnight, anything could’ve happened.”

Donna took a moment to try and process the newfound revelation. She wouldn’t age like normal? She wasn’t sure she could really comprehend that. It was difficult to wrap her head around. How long of a life were they talking? A hundred years? Two hundred? More? The thought should frighten her more than it does. Perhaps the Doctor’s own lifespan was what set her at ease. Now she could keep up with him. After all, somebody needed to look after him. He was rubbish on his own.

Donna came back to the moment, eyes falling on the other form on the ground. She nodded toward it, “And him?”

The Doctor did a once over with the sonic. “Gone. It seems whatever that thing from Midnight was, it burned up instead of you. The opposing forces were so strong they must’ve destroyed each other.” 

Donna felt tension she wasn’t aware she was holding, finally release. That thing was gone. Actually gone. She felt drained. The events of the last few hours left her exhausted. What she wouldn’t give for a nap. Or a drink. She was suddenly very aware of the Doctor’s form curled around hers. Or, well, this was nice too. Her eyes wandered up to the two moons watching them from the sky, “This place is beautiful,” she mused. “Freaky mind puppet aliens notwithstanding.”

The Doctor followed her gaze up, “Yeah. You came at the right time.” Donna felt the soothing sensation of his thumb across the side of her face, caressing back and forth, absentmindedly. “You would’ve hated to see it earlier. Dark skies. Violent rainstorms. Awful wind. And a really cranky storm elemental. No place for a holiday. Surprisingly though, it all miraculously cleared up.”

“You had somethin to do with that, I take it?”

He grinned, quite pleased with himself, “I might’ve.”

Donna felt herself grinning along with him. God, she’d missed this. Missed him. 

"Hey, Time Boy." He looked down at her. "You think they got cocktails on this planet?"

She felt him chuckle. “I'm sure we could find a place."

"Wizard.” She closed her eyes, letting herself fall into the comfort of the Doctor’s touch. “Maybe after a quick nap though."

"Anything you want, Donna. Anything you want."


End file.
